Latest news with #AhmedMusa
Rudaw Net
3 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraq's electricity back online after nationwide outage
Also in Iraq Iraq says nearly 8,000 prisoners released under general amnesty law Iraq, Kurdish forces capture nearly a dozen ISIS suspects in joint ops Grid collapse causes widespread power outage across Iraq Kirkuk landowners face arrests, lawsuits despite land restitution law A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's electricity ministry said on Tuesday that the national grid came back online after a countrywide power outage a day prior, citing a major transmission line failure as the cause. 'The electricity situation has returned to normal in all provinces and there are no such problems remaining in the lines,' ministry spokesperson Ahmed Musa told Rudaw. He explained that 'significant load' on the Musayyib and Babil transmission line was the reason for the nationwide blackout. Power was restored at midnight, but sporadic cuts continued due to testing, according to Musa. On Monday, a nationwide power outage struck Iraq following a sudden and unexpected failure in the national grid. The electricity ministry said that the grid abruptly 'lost over 6,000 megawatts,' leading to a complete system shutdown. Ministry undersecretary Adel Karim told Rudaw that the failure in Babil and Karbala provinces had a 'cascading impact on power stations in other provinces.' The strain on the grid comes as millions of pilgrims make their way to Karbala for the Arbaeen pilgrimage, which commemorates the end of the 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. According to the electricity ministry, power production in the country is at 26,000 megawatts, but in the summer, demand rises to 54,000 megawatts. The outage excluded the Kurdistan Region, which was unaffected.
The Star
4 days ago
- Climate
- The Star
Nationwide blackout hits Iraq as heatwave strains power grid
BAGHDAD, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- A sudden failure in Iraq's power transmission lines on Monday triggered a nationwide blackout, the Electricity Ministry said. Mohammed Nema, undersecretary for production affairs at the ministry, said technical teams were working to repair the fault and had begun gradually restoring service, which was expected to be fully restored within hours. Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Musa told the state-run Iraqi News Agency that the outage was caused by an overload in the power system, particularly in Babylon province and the Shiite holy city of Karbala, where millions of pilgrims have gathered for the Arbaeen religious ritual. He said record-high temperatures, surging demand, and increased electrical loads disconnected transmission lines, cutting more than 6,000 megawatts from the grid. The sudden drop, he added, accelerated the frequency of generating units, triggering their automatic shutdown. Iraq has been hit by a severe heatwave in recent days, with temperatures reaching around 50 degrees Celsius in several provinces, further straining the country's power supply.
Iraqi News
29-05-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
UAE's Masdar, Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power to build 5 solar power plants in Iraq
Baghdad ( – The spokesperson for the Iraqi Minister of Electricity, Ahmed Musa, revealed on Thursday that the Iraqi government will sign agreements soon with UAE-based Masdar and Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power to build five solar power plants. In a statement to the state-run news agency (INA), Musa explained that the Iraqi Electricity Ministry seeks to reach deals with major companies to build solar power plants in a step aiming to diversify Iraq's energy sources and adopt renewable energy, particularly solar energy. Solar power plants are currently under construction in the Iraqi provinces of Basra, Muthanna, Karbala, Babylon, and Dhi Qar, according to Musa. The Iraqi official added that ACWA Power will build a 1,000-megawatt solar power plant in the central Iraqi province of Najaf, and Masdar will build four plants with a total capacity of 1,000 megawatts. Given the country's expanding power demand, the Iraqi government is implementing initiatives to diversify its energy sources and achieve its energy sector sustainability. In 2023, the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity intended to negotiate contracts with major corporations such as France-based TotalEnergies to build a 1,000-megawatt power plant in Basra and China-based PetroChina to establish another 750-megawatt power plant in Muthanna. The Iraqi government has approved a proposal to award contracts to specialist businesses to create 7,500 megawatts of solar energy by 2030. These projects are part of a larger national plan that intends to generate 12,000 megawatts of solar energy.
Iraqi News
26-05-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraq seeks new approaches to import gas from Turkmenistan
Baghdad ( – The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity has proposed an alternative method to import natural gas from Turkmenistan to address the country's inability to import Turkmen gas, despite a written agreement between the two countries. The spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity, Ahmed Musa, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that Iraq had previously signed a gas supply agreement with Turkmenistan for an average of 20 million cubic meters per day. This gas will be transported to Iraq via pipelines that connect Turkmenistan and Iran to compensate for the decreasing gas supplies from Tehran. Musa clarified that this approach has been hindered by the Trade Bank of Iraq's (TBI) inability to issue a letter of credit to allow Iraq to pay for gas imports due to US sanctions on Iran. The Iraqi Minister of Electricity, Ziyad Ali Fadel, arrived in Turkmenistan on Sunday to accelerate the fulfillment of a gas supply contract with Iraq. Iraq signed a memorandum of understanding in 2023 with Turkmenistan to import the gas it needs to operate its power plants, according to the Ministry of Electricity, which indicated that the step requires additional negotiations related to the mechanism of transporting gas through Iran. Power plants in Iraq depend on gas imports from Iran, which cover one-third of the country's energy needs. Fadel indicated earlier that Iraq will get gas from Turkmenistan through Iran's pipeline network, which is connected to Iraq and will eventually serve the country's power plants. Over the next five years, the arrangement will allow Turkmen gas to be transported to Iraq across Iran. Iraq has apparently completed all of the required steps to begin importing gas from Turkmenistan in January 2024. The key reason for the delay is the need to execute a detailed agreement with Iran, the country of transit.
Rudaw Net
08-03-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Iraq continues to import Iranian gas despite expired US waiver
Also in Iraq Compensation for returning Iraqi IDPs paused because no funds Iraq faces energy crunch as US ends waiver for Iranian gas imports Oil and gas law will not be passed this legislative term: Iraqi MP Kurdish farmers in Salahaddin appeal court ruling that gave land to Arabs A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi government officials said on Saturday that gas imports from Iran are continuing despite the expiration of a waiver from the United States, adding that they have alternative plans prepared in case the gas supply is cut off. 'Until today, we have not received any notification regarding the end of the US exemption for importing Iranian gas and imports continue,' Ahmed Musa, a spokesperson for the Electricity Ministry, told Rudaw. In addition, '1,000 megawatts of electricity are imported from Iran through four transmission lines,' he said. The most recent 120-day waiver, issued by former US President Joe Biden to allow Iraq to import Iranian gas without running afoul of sanctions, expired on Saturday. Biden's successor, Donald Trump, announced in early February that he would not renew the waiver as part of his "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran. According to Musa, the government is working to obtain a new exemption from the US. Baghdad is prepared in case no extension is given. 'We have prepared the necessary plans and measures for the possibility of not renewing the exemption for importing gas from Iran,' Iraqi government spokesperson Basim al-Awadi told Rudaw. Iraq is largely dependent on its energy imports from Iran, though the supply is irregular. Iran suspended gas exports for weeks during the winter when it had a shortage. Iran has taken several measures to improve its storage and management that have allowed it to meet its commitments to Iraq and Turkey, the oil ministry's official news site Shana stated in late February. Earlier this week, Iraqi Electricity Minister Ziad Ali traveled to Tehran to meet with Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad. 'The meeting highlighted the importance of increased collaboration and partnership in oil, gas, petrochemicals, and electricity as key areas for mutual development,' Shana stated. To protect and strengthen its energy sectors, Baghdad is also working to direct its own natural gas to power generation plants and ending the damaging practice of flaring, is looking for other import options such as Jordan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan, and is boosting its renewable sources. Iraq is constructing a 1,000-megawatt solar project in Basra with France's TotalEnergies, has agreements with Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power for a 1,000-megawatt plant in Najaf, and is close to a deal with the UAE's Masdar for another 1,000 megawatts across four provinces, according to Musa.
